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I am excited to be able to share some nutrition power with a group of young ladies tomorrow at the Young Survival Coalition Symposium! We will be talking about Nutrition After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

Here is a quick preview of the 10 foods we will be discussing!

Black Beans

Blueberries

Eggs

Kale

Mushrooms

Pomegranates

Salmon

Spinach

Sweet Potatoes

Walnuts

We will also be discussing some quick and easy ways to add these foods to your weekly menu!

This lady has an amazing story and she has some incredible recipes! Be sure to stop by and check them out!

Veggie Frittata ~ Crockpot Version

Recipe created by Brooke Thomas from 360yourlife.com

This recipe will incorporate several of the ingredients we will be learning about in the upcoming nutrition session.

This recipe provides a punch of breast cancer fighting nutrition in a very easy and practical way!

Equipment

One Crock Pot

Food Processor or Blender

Ingredients

Parchment Paper

2 Cups of Sweet Potatoes or 1 Full Potato

12 eggs

1 Large Bell Pepper

1 Cup Fresh Sliced Mushrooms

1 Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves

Optional: Goat Cheese or Walnuts

Instructions

Line your slow cooker with parchment paper with extra room on sides do lift up.

Peel the sweet potato. Cut the potato and shred it in a food processor or high speed blender to create a sweet potato spread that will become the frittata crust. Spread the shredded sweet evenly on the bottom of the parchment paper as the first layer.

Add the veggies evenly on top of the sweet potato spread.

Whisk all 12 eggs together in a bowl. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potato crust and veggies.

When I was a kid, one of the most common vegetables my mom cooked was green peas. I was NOT a fan. I would sometimes move all my little green peas around, trying to hide them under my mashed potatoes, hoping my mom would believe I ate them or at least some of them, so I could have my chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Of course, she would discover my little green pea tricks and then encourage me by saying, “just taste and see…you never know, you might actually like them!”

Sometimes, I still feel like that little kid, preferring my chocolate chip cookies to my green peas. I always remember something my mom did, though, which has helped me to choose the healthy foods first. See, as a young child, I loved drawing; especially landscapes with mountains and trees and a pretty sunset. One night during supper, when I was trying to rearrange my green peas again, Mom looked at me with a smile and told me something I’ll never forget. “Those are not really green peas,” she whispered. “They’re actually little green trees that would love to sit on the peak of your mountain of mashed potatoes. And look here! We can add a little sunset!” she smiled with her arm reached over, as she dropped a dollop of butter onto those tall fluffy mountains. And so it was accomplished…the moment I began to love those little green peas. In fact, I no longer wanted to eat my potatoes without my little green trees! She had used my love of art to help me see food in a different light, like a canvas, if you will.

A change in perspective, a change in the way I saw my food is what I experienced that day so long ago. I think that is what often times is required of us when we are trying to make a change, any change; but especially, when it comes to the food choices we make. We just need a reminder of what food was really designed to be. See, most of the time, we are making food choices solely based on our taste preferences, but when faced with a health crisis we must shift our perspective to a different facet of food, the beautiful healing power that it can provide to our bodies.

So I end with one question for you to ask yourself before taking that next bite, “Is this food giving to or taking away from my fight with cancer?” I would dare to say we’d all take a second helping of those little green trees. Wouldn’t you?

Happy New Year’s Eve! Don’t forget to enjoy some black-eyed peas and cabbage! They may be known for good luck for a New Year, but they are also really good for the body as well!

I just wanted to share this article by Sheridan Alexander
Southeast US Travel Expert

Black-Eyed Peas
A Southern Tradition for Luck and Prosperity in the New Year

If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the Southeast, it is most likely that you will be offered black-eyed peas in some form, either just after midnight or on New Year’s Day. From grand gala gourmet dinners to small casual gatherings with friends and family, these flavorful legumes are traditionally, according to Southern folklore, the first food to be eaten on New Year’s Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead.

The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman’s troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.
Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme including:

• Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.

• Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.

• For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.

• In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars.

• Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.
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The catch to all of these superstitious traditions is that the black-eyed peas are the essential element and eating only the greens without the peas, for example, will not do the trick.

To Eat or Not to Eat Black-Eyed Peas

Whether you choose to follow the Southern New Year’s tradition or not, black-eyed peas are a good source of nutrition. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, black-eyed peas are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are low in sodium.

More About Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas are actually not peas at all, but rather a variety of bean related to the cowpea and categorized as legumes, having both edible seeds and pods. According to the Library of Congress, they have been cultivated in China and India since pre-historic times and were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Early records from 1674 indicate that black-eyed peas were transported from West Africa to the West Indies by slaves. Subsequently, they reached the Low country coastal regions of the Carolinas and Georgia, also via the slave trade, more than 300 years ago.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We have so much to be grateful for! Thank you Lord for all of our blessings.

We had fun making a few Thanksgiving treats. I experimented making a few Turkey cupcakes. We also enjoyed a giant candy corn cupcake. I can’t believe Fall is coming to a close and Christmas is right around the corner!

Amount Per Serving:

I am so honored to have been asked to speak at the Young Survival Coalition on Janaury 23, 2016. This is an amazing organization that supports younger women facing breast cancer. We will be discussing healthy eating and practical tips after breast cancer. Hope to see you there!